I just finished my commercial after going back to an R-22. I couldn't seam
to get used to the 300C in any reasonable amount of time so I went down to
West Palm Beach FL at a place called Ocean Helicopters and finished my
rating in 14 hr in a good old familiar R-22. I felt the 300C was easier to
auto in especially because the rotor speed seemed to stay in one place and
the steeper angle made hitting a spot easier. all the other maneuvers seemed
more difficult.

I still think the 300C is a better machine but it is certainly not easier to
fly.

Also Ocean is a good place I highly recommend it.

J. Roncallo

"Stu Fields" wrote in message
...
Interesting report available from Helicopters only
(www.helicoptersonly.com)
Titled: Special Investigation Report on the R-22 "Loss of Main Rotor
Control
Accidents" Some very experienced pilots have died in crashes the caus of
which is not clear. The fatal accidents /100,000 flight hours are 2.5
times
greater in the R22 than the Huges 269 according to this report. The
Report
contains quite a bit of detail about the investigation.

Stu Fields
Safari pilot

"Dr. J Dana Eckart" wrote in message
u...
I also trained in the R22 (though I haven't flown in quite a long time)
and
would describe it much like electricity... dangerous stuff, but
extremely
useful if you're cautious and treat it with respect. :-)

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 02:21:47 -0700, Alex Calder wrote:

And as people have mentioned, the reactions times are much less for
corrective action in the R22. In some flight regimes, you have one
second to get the collective down. If this reality makes you
uncomfortable, you will want to opt for another aircraft.

Interesting conversation at the airport the other day about power
failures. One of our well-known pilot examiners was telling a CFI
friend of mine that apparently the number of engine failures in the
R22 (barring carb ice and no-fuel situations) is basically negligible.
Anybody else have any stats to back this? It came up when somebody
made the traditional, "Give me a turbine over a piston any day..."
comment. I guess if you stack up turbine power losses over pistons
(specifically the R22), the Robbie actually shines...

One of my old instructors had to do a forced auto in an R22 fresh back
from
the factory. The cause? A clutch belt broke. He said there was a loud
bang and he just went straight into the auto. No damage to the ship and
the factory shipped a new belt. I also caught a bad lower clutch
bearing
on a pre-flight once [ The previous CFI - not mine - and his student had
said that the clutch light was flickering, but apparently that didn't
bother
them. :-( Please see above comment about electricity. ]

My guess is that clutch problems are the biggest cause of loss of power
in
the R22, after stupidity (fuel exhaustion) and negligence (carb ice).

--
J Dana Eckart, PhD, PP-RH, KA4EVL | People who think that life
couldn't
be
Virginia Bioinformatics Institute | better lack vision, and those who
think
| it couldn't be worse lack
imagination.